Gomorrah (2008)

Gomorrah (2008) is a hard-hitting crime drama set in and around the Scampia housing blocks of Naples, where the Camorra — the local Mafia — runs everyday life. Loosely adapted from Roberto Saviano’s investigative book, the film weaves several interlocking stories to show how ambition, greed and desperation twist ordinary people into cogs of a violent criminal machine. Watching Gomorrah is an immersive, often unsettling experience: the film’s documentary-like realism and spare, unromantic visuals make the violence and moral decay feel immediate and inescapable. Expect bleak, tense scenes rather than cathartic showdowns; characters are rarely heroes or villains in the conventional sense, just people trying to survive within a corrupt system. The tone is uncompromising, the acting restrained and naturalistic, and the social critique — of poverty, power and generational entrapment — is constant. If you watch it, you’ll come away with a raw, claustrophobic view of organized crime that emphasizes consequence and routine over glamorization. Content warning: strong language, disturbing violence and mature themes. Ideal for viewers who prefer gritty, realistic crime cinema and social realism.

Actors: Gianfelice Imparato, Salvatore Abbruzzese, Toni Servillo

Director: Matteo Garrone

Runtime: 137 min

Genres: Crime, Drama

87 /100 7.0 /10 7.8 /10